Spear and shield from Kenyan tribe to take pride of place in Obama White HouseA three-legged stool and a traditional Luo oxtail fly whisk are some of the household items that could bring a new feel to the Oval Office, courtesy of Barack Obama's Kenyan grandmother. Last Updated: 9:23PM GMT 12 Jan 2009

Sarah Obama, who at 86 still lives in a modest house in the family's ancestral village of Kogelo, has been packing presents ahead of her grandson's January 20 inauguration as the 44th president of the United States.

Quoted in the country's Standard newspaper Monday, she said she had hoped to bring him a traditional spear and shield from her Luo tribe when she flies to Washington on Friday with some other family members.

"But I have been told that due to security reasons I will not be allowed to board a plane with it," she explained.

Sarah Obama, the president-elect's step grandmother, has become a national celebrity since the Illinois senator  the Hawaiian-born son of a Kenyan father and white American mother  launched his bid for the White House.

"The day I was waiting for has finally come... I cannot hide my joy," she said. "I am going to be Kenya's ambassador during the occasion and I will live up to the expectations."

**SNIP**

"It is a big fete that will be attended by delegations from many African nations," Mr Wetangula told reporters.

"And because Kenya is the African nation where Obama draws his roots, I have been invited to be the guest speaker at the event," he added.

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